What Lies Inside?
by merlynn
Summary: While Piper battles a Speedy Warlock, Paige escorts Phoebe on a journey of self-discovery. Reviews are always welcome!
1. Default Chapter

Author's note: I've decided to make reference in this story to characters I introduced inChristmas: Past and Future. I don't think you will need to read that fanfic to appreciate this one, but it might provide some deeper meaning to this tale. I hope you all enjoy.  
*****

Phoebe stood before the Book of Shadows looking at the same page she had read everyday for the last two weeks. As she read over the entry again, she let out a sigh.

"You're going to leave a hole in the Book soon with as many times as you've flipped to that specific entry. What's going on?" Paige asked startling Phoebe from her thoughts.

"I didn't hear you come up the stairs," Phoebe said as she closed the Book.

"You wouldn't have heard an elephant come up those stairs, you're so lost in thought," Paige said as she walked over to the Book and opened it up to the entry Phoebe had been reading. "A Dream Walk? What is that all about?" Paige asked.

"How do you know which entry I was looking at?" Phoebe asked as she gave her sister a little smile.

Paige responded with a bigger smile, "I told you, you're wearing the pages thin flipping to this same spot over and over again. Now what is this all about?"

Phoebe looked away, "I'm not sure."

Paige read over the entry on Dream Walks. "The lies we tell ourselves are the most damaging of all. To know oneself, is to know real truth. For those who dare to walk the path inside, the dream walk reveals what we refuse to see." Paige turned and joined Phoebe by the attic window.

"I was thinking of going on one," Phoebe said softly.

"Can I ask why?" Paige responded just as softly.

Phoebe turned to face her little sister with tears in her eyes. "I need to know why I did what I did. Why I choose evil over good. I need to know if I can be good...."

Paige reached out to grab Phoebe by the shoulders, "Honey, of course you can. You are good."

"Am I Paige? Am I really?" Phoebe said as she shook herself away from Paige. "With Timothy and Amy in my life now, I can't risk not knowing for sure. I won't hurt Amy like I hurt you and Piper. Even if it isn't my fault, I can't do that to her."

Paige nodded her head, walked over and took Phoebe by the hands, "What do we need to do?"

*****

Leo was helping Piper do an inventory at P3 when he heard a crash from the backroom. Rushing in he saw Piper standing with broken glass all around her feet. He ran over by her side to examine her, "Are you ok? Is there anything that needs healing?" he asked with a tinge of panic to his voice.

Piper laughed, "Im fine. We have less shot glasses to count now though."

"What happened?" Leo asked still not over his concern.

"I'm not sure," Piper said, "I was counting glasses and suddenly a strong wind went through the room knocking them over before I got a chance to stop it."

Leo concerned expression hadn't left his face when they heard a scream come from outside the building. Piper and Leo rushed out to the alleyway behind the club to see what was going on. When they got outside, they saw a woman being suspended in mid-air in what appeared to be a wind tunnel.

"Nifty little power, isn't it?" they heard a male voice ask from behind them.

Piper and Leo started to turn toward the direction of the voice, only to see him run past them and around the woman to keep her caught in the wind tunnel he seemed to be creating with his own speed.

"Bet you never thought you would see a demon or warlock too fast for you, did ya? Well, did ya?" he asked as he surrounded the now passed-out woman again. "Think I'm fast enough to get that Book away from you?" he asked as he stopped in front of Piper and Leo, "Gonna need some help with that, but I bet I'm fast enough," he said as he darted off. "Better get ready to catch her, she's going to fall any second now," he added as he came back and left again.

Piper froze the woman as she started to fall. Leo levitated up to catch her and bring her down gently. As she started to revive Leo turned to face his wife. "What the hell was that?" she asked exasperated.

*****

Paige and Phoebe were sitting on cushions in the attic. Five white candles surrounded them in the shape of a pentagram. Phoebe took a rose and allowed one of its thorns to prick her enough to bleed. Paige did the same. They squeezed their hands together and recited the spell....

Phoebe: I leave this world for one I do not know, to see with eyes truths untold.....

Paige: I join with you to be your guide, to see you returned safely to this side.....

Together: Let our minds be open, but leave our bodies closed. Let our hearts explore as the dream walk begins.

With the last line of the spell, they both fell into a trance.

*****

"Phoebe! Paige!" Piper screamed as she walked into the house. When Leo came in from the kitchen shaking his head, Piper looked up the daunting staircase and down at her pregnant belly. "Orb me to the attic?" she asked with a little smile.

Leo walked over and put his arms around his glowing wife. He gave her a slight kiss on the lips as they orbed upstairs.

The smile Leo had put on Piper's face soon faded as she took in the scene before her. "Paige? Phoebe?" she asked as she looked at her entranced sisters.

"Piper, come look at this," Leo called from behind the Book of Shadows.

"A dream walk! They went on a dream walk without talking to me first?" Piper said with exasperation.

"They left a note," Leo said as he handed her the little note Phoebe had left in the Book.

"Yes, well that is all fine and good, but I still have the speedy Gonzales warlock to deal with, and I could really use their help," Piper said sounding more perturbed than she felt. She knew this would be good for Phoebe. She just wished she had picked a better time.

Leo put his arms around his wife and hugged her. "We'll figure this out. It will be ok"

Piper smiled and put her arms around Leo in return. "I hope they're ok." 

*****

Phoebe and Paige found themselves walking along a white corridor that seemed to have a bright light at the end of it. 

"Do you think this is odd?" Phoebe asked.

Paige shrugged. "Who knows?"

"All dream walks are different. Yours is what you need it to be," said a woman standing behind Paige and Phoebe. 

They turned to face a young woman with dark hair and hazel eyes wearing a plane white dress. "I am nameless here, so please don't ask. I am someone that matters to you, but don't ask who, I can't tell you. You can see me and have chosen me because of your powers to see the past and future. I will be revealed to you when you are ready. For now, I am only here to answer your most basic questions."

"Ok then, what happens now?" Phoebe asked.

"You will experience three trials," the woman responded. "You will determine what they are and how they must be solved. I must warn you, if you die in this plane, you will die in your physical body as well."

She turned to Paige, "You are here to help her separate the trials from reality. You can talk to her, but that is all. No other interference will be tolerated. I must warn you as well, because you are connected on this journey, any harm that comes to her, can injure you also."

The woman turned back to Phoebe, "Are you ready to begin?"

Phoebe turned to Paige. " I can't let you....."

Paige interrupted, "There is no backing out now sister. Let's do what we came to do."

Phoebe nodded, grabbed Paige by the hand, and the two of them followed the woman down the corridor into the light beyond.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. A Test Against Evil

As Paige and Phoebe followed the young woman with dark hair down the corridor of light, they gripped each other's hands tightly. When the light became so bright it was blinding, the sisters interlocked their arms and clung tightly to each other. Then suddenly Paige felt Phoebe being pulled away from her. She couldn't see who was doing the pulling. All she knew was that she felt her sister being torn away from her....again. Paige felt panic overtake her as she lost her grip on Phoebe, then that panic turned to terror when she heard her sister scream.

"You can't go to her yet," Paige heard the woman they had been following say. Something about the woman's touch on her shoulder calmed her, but she was still upset she had been separated from Phoebe.

"Why not? I thought I was suppose to be her guide in all of this," Paige responded much calmer than she expected.

The young woman smiled. "You have to understand, even though she doesn't realize it, Phoebe controls everything about this dream walk. She has decided that she has to face this trial alone at first. She will allow you to go to her when she is ready for you."

Paige looked at the young woman and nodded her understanding. "I don't like it, but I will wait."

*****

Phoebe pulled hard away from her captor. She didn't care who it was or what this trial was about, she wanted to be back with Paige. She had a hard time seeing in the corridor because the light was so bright. The man pulling on her let her go in a darker room lit by surrounding fires. Her eyes were adjusting, but she still couldn't see who had taken her.

Phoebe was getting scared and frustrated when she felt a man press up behind her. She felt herself start to tingle as he kissed the back of her neck. He felt familiar somehow though she knew it wasn't Cole. 

"Cole!" Phoebe screamed as she opened her eyes to face her ex-husband.

Cole smiled widely. "I see I wasn't the first bad boy you betrayed your family for," Cole said with a laugh as Phoebe turned to face the warlock lover from her past life.

Phoebe shook her head emphatically, "No. That wasn't me. That was her. He wanted her, not me."

Her former lover smiled at her objection, "It's your soul I want Phoebe. It's your soul I love. Any lifetime will do," he said as he pulled her into a close embrace.

Phoebe felt herself go weak in the warlock's arms. "If you want him dead, I can give you the power to do that," he whispered in her ear as they both looked toward Cole.

Phoebe regained her composure and pulled away from his embrace. "I don't need you for that. He's already dead," she said as she faced Cole. "You are dead, and you can't hurt me anymore!"

Cole walked over toward Phoebe and put one arm around her waist and a hand under her chin. "Now Phoebe, when did I ever hurt you?" he asked gently leaning in for a kiss. "But if it's power you want, noone can give it to you like I can," he whispered in her ear rather than kiss her.

"That's not exactly true," Phoebe heard a deep voice say from a dark corner of the room. "I can give her power like she can't imagine. Is that what you want Phoebe?" said the voice she recognized as the Woogie man.

Phoebe's head was spinning as she pulled away from Cole. She was surrounded by three beings that had all seduced her with power at one time or another. Was this the answer she was seeking? Was she learning that she was indeed evil, seduced by power so readily that more than once she had put her family at risk? She feel to the ground in tears.

*****

The warlock sat before the evil enchantress with little patience. "Are you almost finished? I need to get going. If she warns her sisters, they will develop a plan to stop me. But if I get there before they have a chance to work it out......"

"Hush," said the old woman as she looked up from her work. "The bag is almost ready. You still won't be able to touch the Book, but if you can get it in this bag, you will be able to take it from the house."

"Good," said the warlock as he stood and started rapidly pacing the room, "that should be easy enough. I'll just throw the bag over the stand and zip out of there. I'll be gone before they know I was there....."

"Hush," the old woman said again. She raised an eyebrow and asked, "What makes you think you are too fast for them all together?"

"I was too fast for the one that can freeze me. What can the others do to stop me? Nothing, that's what. I will do what noone else has done. And when I have the Book, all of the Underworld will be coming to me......"

"You mean to rule the Underworld?" the old woman said with a smirk.

"Rule?" the warlock responded, "No, not rule. You think I could? No. I couldn't. But I could be important to whoever does. That would be good. That would be very good. Are you almost finished?"

*****

Paige felt a twinge inside her, a calling almost, her sister was reaching out for her. She turned to face the young woman who had been keeping her company.

"Go to her." the woman answered her unspoken question, "She is ready for you now."

"How?" Paige asked feeling excited that she could help in some way.

The young woman smiled, "Orb silly, your powers still work here."

Paige wondered for a minute at the familiar tone the woman just took with her. She really did look like someone Paige should know. Then Paige felt Phoebe calling for her again, so she orbed away.

*****

Paige orbed into the dark room to find Phoebe on her knees in the center of it doubled over crying and screaming for people to get away from her. When Paige rushed to hold her, she jerked away at first. Then she raised tear-filled eyes and hugged Paige tightly.

Paige heard three voices coming from different directions in the room. As she held Phoebe, she looked around to see who they were. She recognized Cole and the Shadow from the Nexus, but she wasn't sure who the other guy was. 

Paige stroked Phoebe's head as she asked, "Sweetie, what is going on? What's wrong?"

"I'm evil Paige. They were all too strong for me. I gave into all of them at one point or another. They all seduced me, and I gave in so easily," Phoebe answered.

"Ha!" screamed Cole. "Seduced you nothing. Maybe they did, but I loved you and you loved me. Everything you did with me was voluntary. I never seduced you."

Phoebe was angry now. Paige helped her stand up to face Cole. "Are you trying to pretend that I knew I was marrying the Source of All Evil!" she screamed back at him.

Cole waved off her objection, "One small deception."

"Oh and I suppose I knew I was carrying the spawn of the devil as well?" Phoebe retorted.

"Another minor deception," Cole said. "It's not like you weren't happy with me."

"It's not like I had much choice considering I was being drugged!" Phoebe screamed. 

Cole snorted. "You weren't being drugged when you choose to become my Queen." 

Phoebe took in a deep breathe. "You're right. I loved you. I loved you so much I wanted to keep you even though I knew it was wrong. I was a fool," she said as she turned her back on him.

Paige took Phoebe in her arms. "You aren't evil Phoebe. We all have weaknesses, but it is what we do with those weaknesses that define us, not the weaknesses themselves."

"Easy for you to say," Phoebe said as she looked at Paige. "You're every bit as strong as Prue was. Maybe stronger."

Paige took a deep breathe. "Noone ever said this would be a spiritual journey for me as well," she said with a small smile. "My weakness is my insecurities with you and Piper. Sometimes I still don't feel like I'm a part of this family."

Phoebe looked into Paige's eyes as they started to tear up. She hugged Paige tightly. Then ignoring all the voices coming at her, she looked at her sister and admitted, "I am attracted to power. Ever since we first found out we were witches, power was a big thing with me. I'm the one most likely to use my power for personal gain or vengeance. I don't deserve to have any powers at all."

Phoebe wanted to hang her head in shame, but she stayed focused on her sister. The voices around her started to fade. "Is that why you haven't been working on advancing your gifts?" Paige asked.

Phoebe nodded. "I don't want to be strong. I'm afraid I will hurt someone if I am," Phoebe answered.

"But you risk not being able to save people if you aren't," Paige responded.

"I guess I was a bad choice for a Charmed One," Phoebe said sadly.

"No you weren't," Paige said firmly. "You will only turn out to be a bad choice if you don't live up to your potential." She grabbed one of Phoebe's hands and turned her around to face each of the evils in the room. "You defeated each of them, didn't you? I don't care if you gave into them once, you still defeated them in the end, right?"

Phoebe nodded. "Then do it again," Paige said.

Phoebe turned to face her past life lover. He approached her gently. "We could be so strong together," he said as he held her close to him.

The Woogie man pulled her away from the warlock and surrounded her. "You can feel my strength, can't you Phoebe? You never need to feel weak again."

Phoebe did feel weak though. "I am light," she said in a whisper.

"Not again!" The Woogie man screamed. "You would reject me again?"

"I am one too strong to fight," Cole said as the Woogie man left her and she feel into his arms.

"Our love is eternal Phoebe," he said as he kissed her.

"No," Phoebe said as she ended the kiss, "You cannot have this Halliwell either."

"What?" Cole said with hurt in his voice. "I love you."

"And I loved you," Phoebe said gently as she kissed him lightly on the lips.

"But you cannot have this Halliwell," she said loudly more sure of herself. "None of you can."

Phoebe turned to each of them, then stopped facing her sister. "I'm done here," she said to Paige. 

Instantly the room vanished and Paige and Phoebe found themselves back in the lighted corridor facing the young woman they had been following earlier.

"Well done," the young woman said. "Ready to continue?" she asked.

Paige and Phoebe nodded to each other, locked arms again, and turned to follow her only to find themselves standing in the manor.

  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. A Test of Family

Phoebe was a little confused as she looked around the manor trying to figure out if she was awake or still in her dream walk. Paige had been with her just a second ago, but she was alone now standing in the hallway. She closed her eyes when she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. As she turned around, she tried to prepare herself for what was next. She failed.......

"Phoebe? Phoebe look at me. What are we doing here? What is....." Paige stopped in the middle of her sentence as she saw their mother and grandmother coming down the stairs together. They walked right past her and stopped in front of Phoebe a few feet apart.

"She can't hear you yet," the young woman who was directing them through this journey said from behind Paige.

"I figured that on out on my own. Thanks," Paige said as she rolled her eyes unable to contain her frustration.

The young woman hooked her arm in Paige's, looked up at her and smiled. "It won't be long before she will need you. Just listen, you can learn something from this too." 

Paige thought she should feel awkward at this display of closeness, but for some reason she didn't. It felt natural for this young woman to be this close to her. What was it she saw in the woman's eyes? Was it admiration, respect? Paige was brought back from those thoughts as Grams and Patty started to speak.

*****

"Phoebe, Phoebe, Phoebe," Grams said as she shook her head. "You never did take your destiny seriously."

"What?" Phoebe said in shock. "I thought....."

"We are very disappointed in you Phoebe," Patty said interrupting her.

Phoebe began tearing up, "I made a mistake. I know that and I'm sorry, but I....."

"You what?" Grams asked. "What have you done besides hurt your sisters?"

"Hurt my sisters?" Phoebe responded in a whisper.

"I'd say so," came a voice from Phoebe's side. "Getting killed by Shax was a tad bit on the painful side baby sister."

Phoebe turned to face her older sister. "Prue?" she whispered as she went to hug her.

Prue took Phoebe in an embrace, "I'm sorry Prue. I'm so sorry. I should have been there for you."

"I understand," Prue said. "You just preferred him. It's perfectly understandable. Why would you choose me over him anyway?"

"No Prue," Phoebe said as she backed away from her sister. "It wasn't like that."

"Was it like that when you choose him over me?" asked Piper as she entered from the opposite side as Prue.

"Piper?" Phoebe asked as she turned around. "I choose you."

Piper shrugged, "In the end, yes. And I'm very grateful for that considering I would be dead otherwise, but it still didn't stop you from leaving me to go be evil with him."

"I'm sorry. I wanted both of you. I was wrong to be so selfish. I was wrong to think I could straddle both worlds. If I could do it over again...."

"You would do the exact same thing," Grams said interrupting Phoebe. "It's what we've come to expect from you dear."

Phoebe almost collapsed as Grams finished her sentence. Those words were enough to break her. She couldn't take this. It was too much.

*****

"Get angry Phoebe," Paige said even though she knew her sister couldn't hear her yet. "Get pissed. You deserve to be angry over some of this. Come on sis!"

The young woman looked at Paige and smiled. "You really are understanding. You were a great choice for this."

Paige gave her a puzzled look and then turned back to Phoebe. "Either get angry or let me in to talk to you damn it!"

*****

Piper paced the floor looking at her sisters entranced before her. "What am I going to do Leo?"

"Wear a hole in the floor that will take me a week to repair," Leo said with a smile.

Piper turned on him with a mock glare. "Oh you just want to get yourself in trouble, don't you?" she teased as she walked over to look at the Book of Shadows again.

Leo put his arms around her shoulders. "Being in trouble with you isn't always a bad thing," he whispered in her ear.

"Leo!" Piper exclaimed as she slapped him on the arm. "I'm serious."

"Why don't you write a spell?" he responded seriously.

"What type of spell?" she asked.

"How about a spell that locks the room - at least temporarily?" Leo suggested.

"It won't be as strong without the power of three, but it might buy us some time," Piper said as she started thinking about the spell.

*****

The warlock stood outside the manor with the magically imbued bag in his hands. "This should be fast and easy," he thought to himself as he speed up to the door and into the house. 

"Wow, they don't even lock the door," he whispered as he speed from the hallway into the kitchen and through the rest of the house until he was standing at the attic door. "This must be it," he thought as he prepared himself to open the door.

*****

Doors, windows, roof, floor and walls combine...

To seal us within this room for a time...

Protect us from unwanted quests...

Seals us away from danger and let us rest.

"Think it worked?" Piper asked as she finished the spell.

In response to her question, she heard a scream of pain come from outside the attic door.

"I'd say someone wanted to get inside and wasn't allowed to," Leo answered.

Piper grimaced, "I hope it wasn't someone we like."

"Nice one witches!" the warlock screamed. "I'll be back!" he added as he speed away.

"Guess not," Piper said in response to the threats. "Come on guys, hurry up," she said as she turned back to her sisters.

*****

Phoebe felt beaten. She might have survived her first trial, but this one was too much. Then she felt something stir inside of her. Grams words had angered her even though she didn't feel like she deserved to feel angry.

"What you've come to expect of me?" Phoebe said flatly as she raised her head.

"Why yes dear. It's not like you given us much to be proud of," Patty answered.

"How dare you?" Phoebe answered. "After you left us at such a young age, how dare you talk about being proud of me?"

"And you!" Phoebe turned on Grams, "You could have prepared us for all of this, but you never once told us about what was to come. If we had been better prepared, I might have made better choices."

"Neither of you has any right to talk about being disappointed in me. How about all the disappointment I have in you?"

Phoebe was ready to collapse as she got those thoughts out of her system. She found herself in Prue's arms again. "Poor, poor Phoebe. The perpetual victim. It would have been so much better for everyone if you had died instead of me," she said as she kissed Phoebe on the forehead.

Phoebe pulled away in horror. "I know I would have been happier," Piper added from across the hall.

"Yeah, I probably would have been much better off too," came Paige's voice from in front of the door to the manor.

*****

"No! Don't do this! Let me in Phoebe. She isn't me," Paige screamed as she watched things unfold.

Phoebe faced the Paige in her vision and started to cry. "You're probably right," she said in a whisper. 

"No she isn't" Paige said as she entered the circle of woman to join Phoebe. "I love you Phoebe."

Phoebe turned to face the Paige standing beside her. "Are you sure you don't feel the way she does, the way they all do?" Phoebe asked.

"That isn't how your family feels about you Phoebe. You are controlling this. This is how you think we feel about you, but it isn't the truth," Paige responded.

"Look at her Phoebe," said the Paige standing at the door. "Even now she is trying to help you and you resent her for it."

"You resent me?" Paige asked.

"I...maybe...a little," Phoebe responded honestly.

"Why?" Paige asked.

"Because you were right. You were right about Cole. I was always the baby sister, the screw up. But then I wasn't. I was suppose to have my life together and be happy. Then you told me I was wrong, I was the screw up again, and everything I had worked for left me in an instant."

Phoebe walked over to face Prue. "I wasn't there for her because I was with him. Piper almost died because I was with him. I hurt her, I hurt you, all because of him. And I was wrong about him. That's a lot to swallow."

"Phoebe, it's...."

"Don't tell me I didn't hurt you," Phoebe interrupted Paige.

"Why don't you try being honest with her?" the vision of Paige said.

"Ok, you hurt me. It hurt a lot. I was given up to protect your destiny, and when you betrayed that destiny it made me think that giving me up served no purpose. So yeah, it hurt like hell," Paige said as she started tearing up.  


"Same as it did when Piper and I were going to give up our powers to the Angel of Destiny?" Phoebe asked gently.

Paige nodded.

"Why did you forgive me?" Phoebe asked.

"Because you are my sister, and if I don't forgive you, I lose you. I don't want to lose you again," Paige answered as tears started falling down her face.

"But why do I deserve it?"

"Maybe you don't, but I do," Paige said. "You and Piper filled an empty space in my heart. To not forgive you would be to break my own heart Phoebe. I can't do that."

Phoebe grabbed Paige and hugged her tightly. "I love you Paige, but I don't deserve you."

Paige pulled away a little to face Phoebe, "Well, you can always earn whatever you don't think you deserve," she said with a smile.

Phoebe smiled and whipped tears away from her face and Paige's. Suddenly each of the women surrounding Phoebe disappeared and left a beam of light where she stood. The five points of light converged on Phoebe and Paige filling them both with overwhelming sensations of love.

As the lights faded, Phoebe smiled and locked arms with Paige. "Do you accept bribes?" Phoebe asked jokingly.

"Hmm, I could use a new pair of shoes," Paige responded lightly.

"And a matching hand bag?" Phoebe added.

"Sounds good," Paige answered.

The two sisters looked around to find themselves back in the corridor following the young woman to the final trial of Phoebe's dream walk.

  
  
  
  
  



	4. A Test of Self

Phoebe and Paige followed the woman that had been guiding them through the dream walk down the lighted corridor until they found themselves in a section of the Underworld. Phoebe and Paige held tightly to each other's hands as they looked around the room. Phoebe soon realized this wasn't just any section of the Underworld. It was the room where they crowned Cole the Source.

"Paige, stay with me. I need you," Phoebe said as this realization came to her.

"I'm here Phoebe. Don't shut me out no matter what," Paige said in response.

Phoebe turned and locked eyes with Paige thanking her silently for her strength. Paige smiled in response feeling closer to her sister than ever before.

Out of the shadows someone entered the room. Phoebe felt the extra presence immediately and turned to face her last and final challenge... herself.

*****

The old enchanter smiled ruefully as the warlock entered the room, "Back so soon speedy?"

"I didn't fail so don't look at me like that," the warlock answered defensively. "They put up some sort of barrier. I need you to help me break through it. Once I'm in, they won't be able to stop me."

The enchanter nodded and went to work preparing what the warlock needed, "You are still very confident then? Perhaps too much so?"

"What is that old boxer you to say? Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee?" the warlock asked.

"Fancy yourself Ali?" the enchanter responded with intrigue.

"Well," the warlock said with a smile, "you can't hit what you can't see. No way that witch will ever see me coming or going."

*****

A leather-clad twin of Phoebe stepped out of the shadows and walked toward the sisters. "Isn't this sweet?" she said watching Phoebe and Paige move closer together. "If you don't mind sis," the twin said with venom in her tone, "I need to have a little chat with myself." The lookalike pushed Paige away with such force she landed on her butt. Then she turned to face Phoebe.

"Hey!" Phoebe screamed as she started to go to Paige, but her twin blocked her. "Don't worry about her right now. You and I need to have a go."

"I don't understand. What is going on? Why are you here?" Phoebe asked.

"I'm doing what you were destined to do," the twin replied with a laugh.

"Ruling the Underworld with Cole is not my destiny," Phoebe said firmly.

The twin smiled. "You think you needed Cole for this? This is where you are suppose to be - Cole or no Cole."

"You may be evil, but I'm not," Phoebe said firmly but with less conviction.

The evil lookalike walked around Phoebe sizing her up. "Of course you are dear. You just haven't realized it yet. It's what makes you so pathetically weak," she said taunting Phoebe.

"I am not evil," Phoebe said again.

The twin walked away a few paces. "Maybe," she said as she turned around. "But you are pathetically weak," she added as she levitated in the air and landed a strong kick right into Phoebe's stomach.

Phoebe fell back several feet doubled over in pain. Paige started to go to her, but was held back by the woman that had been guiding them. "Remember Paige," she said softly, "Only words." Paige nodded as she struggled free and ran over to her sister.

"Are you alright?" Paige asked as she helped Phoebe compose herself. 

"Of course she is," the twin replied as she pushed Paige away and threw a punch into Phoebe's face. "She just needs to find her fighting spirit," she added as Phoebe staggered backwards.

The twin punched Phoebe again causing her lip to bleed. She laughed as she levitated in the air and landed another kick into Phoebe's stomach. "Come on girl. Fight me. This isn't even fun," she said as she threw another punch.

*****

Piper paced the attic floor trying to think of a way to wake up her sisters. Then she noticed Phoebe's lip. She walked over to her sister who was sitting perfectly still on the floor hand-in-hand with Paige sitting across from her. She put her finger to Phoebe's lip and noticed the blood. 

"Are you sure there is no way to wake them up?" Piper asked as she whirled around to face Leo.

Leo shrugged helplessly, "A dream walk has to be played out. Phoebe controls everything including when she wakes up."

Leo walked over and hugged his wife. She rested her hand on Phoebe's head. "Please wake up soon Phoebe," she whispered as she feel into Leo's arms.

*****

Phoebe started to respond to the challenge a little by blocking one of her twin's punches. Then she found the strength the throw a couple of her own. "What is the point of this?" Phoebe asked as she fought her lookalike.

"That's simple," the lookalike responded, "Kill me or Join me," she said as she landed a back kick into Phoebe's chest. "Well, maybe the choices are join me or die," she added confidently.

"I don't like those choices," Phoebe said as she ducked down and kicked the legs out from under her opponent. 

For a second it look like the lookalike was going to land on her back, but then she levitated and wrapped both of her legs around Phoebe's neck. She flipped Phoebe onto the floor and landed on top of her with one knee in her chest.

"Not sure what other option you have," the lookalike responded.

Phoebe made two fists and punched into her lookalike's chest with all the strength she could manage. That caused the twin to relax her hold of Phoebe enough for Phoebe to head butt her. The twin then rolled off of Phoebe letting her stagger over to her sister.

"I don't know what to do Paige. She is so much stronger than me." Phoebe whispered as her sister caught her in her arms.

"No she isn't," Phoebe heard a familiar voice say. "I have every confidence in you," Phoebe heard as she turned to see the ghost of Prue.

*****

"Prue?" Phoebe whispered unable to believe what she was seeing. "Is this real?"

Prue smiled and nodded her head. 

"We believe in you too, sweetie," Phoebe heard as the ghosts of Grams and Patty appeared as well.

Phoebe started to cry, "Really?" she asked so softly you almost couldn't hear her.

"You come from a long line of good witches Phoebe," said Melinda Warren as she appeared. "Embrace your heritage. Embrace Yourself."

"I....I don't....." Phoebe started to stutter.

"You can do this Mom. I know you can," said a woman with soft blonde hair. Phoebe recognized her immediately as Amy.

"Did....did you say....mom? Does that mean I'm your step-mother?" Phoebe asked as she hugged the young woman in front of her.

"Yes, Mom. You gave me a wonderful childhood. You and Daddy were great. You can do this because I come from a future where you already have," Amy said with a smile.

"But it's only one possible future," said the young woman with dark hair that had been guiding them on this dream walk. "You have to make the right choices to make it happen.....mother."

Phoebe caught her breathe for a minute as she looked closer at the woman in front of her. Suddenly she could see all the resemblences to herself and Tim in front of her. "Why didn't I see it earlier?" she said as she hugged her future daughter. "Wait a minute. How can I see you, any of you, at all?" she asked as she pulled back from her embrace.

"Because, Aunt Phoebe,"said a young woman with dark hair that was taller than the rest of them, "because of your ability to see the future and the past, you can see us - all of us."

"Are you Piper's daughter?" Paige asked the new woman.

This young woman smiled. "No, that would be me," said a different woman with light brown hair.

"Then...Woah," Paige said as she realized that she, like Phoebe, was looking at her future daughter.

Other woman appeared in the room with Phoebe and Paige. Some calling her grandmother. Other calling her Great Auntie Phoebe. Phoebe and Paige were both a little overwhelmed.

"See mother? You come from a long line of good witches, and you are part of a long line of good witches to come. This is your future. All you have to do is make it happen," said the woman that had been their guide all along.

"You can do it mother. I know you can," said Amy as she took her half-sister's hand and stepped back with her relatives into a bright light. "We all know you can," she added as they disappeared.

Phoebe turned to see Melinda, Grams, Patty and Prue standing together smiling. "We know you can too," Prue said as they disappeared as well.

*****

It had seemed almost like time had stopped for Phoebe and Paige, but now with her relatives gone, the evil lookalike was more than ready to battle.

Phoebe walked over to face her with renewed strength. She exchanged a few punches, and blocked several of her opponents. But her evil twin was still getting the upper hand. Before she knew it, the twin levitated and slammed Phoebe against a wall with a hard kick. When Phoebe fell forward, her twin grabbed her and pinned her against the wall.

"You really think you can best me?" she asked mockingly.

Phoebe turned to Paige with tears in her eyes and whispered, "No, I can't."

Paige shook her head not understanding what was happening.

"I can't defeat you," Phoebe said as she turned back to her twin. The lookalike backed up a bit, "Well, I'm glad you finally came to your senses."

"All I can do is embrace you, and by doing so, work everyday to control you," Phoebe said as she hugged her evil twin. With the embrace, the twin disappeared.

Phoebe just stood there looking at Paige. "I get it now."

"Get what?" Paige asked as she walked to her sister.

"Those evil impulses will always be a part of me - like her. But by recognizing that, I can work every day to make sure they never get the best of me again," Phoebe said.

"And that way, the future you saw here can come true," Paige said taking her sister's hand.

"I certainly hope so," Phoebe said as she felt a twinge come over her.

She turned to Paige who was feeling it too. "Piper..."

"Needs us," Phoebe finished. "We better go."


	5. The Waking Hours

A rush of wind surrounded Piper in the attic as the warlock found away around her spell. She focused on the warlock trying to anticipate his path and blew up on of the trunks containing Christmas decorations.

"Maybe you should try freezing him," Leo suggested timidly.

Piper turned to face her husband with an annoyed glare, "Don't you think I've tried that?"

"Yes sweetie, but trying to freeze him and failing doesn't make holes in the attic wall," Leo with a cute semi-smile on his face.

*****

As Phoebe and Paige awoke from their trance, they felt wind gushing all around them. They both ducked as things exploded behind them. Stumbling to their feet and rushing over beside Piper they heard, "Fast as fast can be, you'll never catch me," followed by hysterical laughing.

"Nice of you to join me," Piper said as her sisters looked at her questioningly, "We have a speed demon, I mean warlock, on our hands and I can't seem to target him."

"Alright," Phoebe said, "Let me give it a try."

Phoebe watched the direction of the wind and made a guess to what direction the warlock was running. She levitated and kicked. She barely grazed him, but it was enough for her to receive a premonition. 

Phoebe saw the warlock stop in front of the Book of Shadows and toss a bag over it. He smiled for a second and then ran out of the attic and out of the house taking the Book with him.

Phoebe came out of her premonition as she was landing from the kick.

"Close but no cigar witch. Does the other want to give it a try?" the warlock taunted.

Phoebe felt the cut in her hand where she and Paige had been joined during the dream walk start to throb. She looked down at it and up at Paige. She noticed Paige was looking at her hand as well. Acting on an impulse, Phoebe held up her hand in Paige's direction and closed her eyes.

Piper watched as Paige caught her breath and closed her eyes. It look like she was getting a premonition, but that didn't make any sense. Then Piper saw Phoebe on the other side of the room with her eyes closed holding out her hand. What was going on here?

Paige saw the warlock stop in front of the Book of Shadows and throw a bag over it. She opened her eyes, nodded toward Phoebe, then orbed over behind the Book. "Bag!" she screamed as she grabbed the Book in one hand and the warlock's bag appeared in her other one. "Piper!" she called as she threw the bag in the air for target practice. 

As Piper exploded the bag, Paige smiled at the warlock and whispered, "Behind you."

The warlock turned just in time to see Phoebe's foot coming at his face. When Phoebe had him pinned, Piper ordered her away and finally got her chance to vanquish the little thorn in her side.

"Nice work," Piper said as she planted her hands by her side. "Missed you guys," she added as they both hugged her.

*****

Later that evening Piper was in the kitchen watching over Phoebe and Paige as they prepared dinner. "That must have been some experience the two of you had. Pretty cool power advancement too Phoebe."

"I hope I get to keep it," Phoebe said as she checked on the chicken in the oven. "It could be really useful in the future."

"As we saw today," Paige said as she mashed some potatoes. "But next time a little warning would be nice. That left me really woozy."

Phoebe put her arm around Paige, "Sorry about that. Does that mean I owe you two pairs of shoes now?"

"With matching handbags," Paige said with a huge smile on her face.

"Did I miss something?" Piper asked with a quizzical look on her face.

As she asked her question, the doorbell rang and Paige went to answer it.

*****

Alone in the kitchen for a minute, Phoebe sat down beside Piper. "She's really great, you know that?" Phoebe said to Piper.

"I know. She's, well she's something really special," Piper said. "But why didn't you ask me to go on this dream walk?" she added with a little sadness in her voice.

Phoebe put her arm in Piper's. "I think it was meant to be. Paige and I had some things we really needed to work through, and without that experience I don't know if it would have happened. You and I need to talk about some things too, but it was just as important for her to be there as it was for me."

"You still love me then? You aren't trading me in for a newer, younger model of sister just because I'm old and pregnant?" Piper said with a little grin.

"Please! Piper! There is no model better than you," Phoebe said as she hugged Piper around the neck.

*****

"Phoebe? Phoebe!" came the cry of a little girl the Halliwell sisters had come to care very deeply for as Amy ran into the kitchen with Paige and Timothy following behind her.

"You're ok?" she asked as she climbed up into Phoebe's lap and hugged her close.

"Yes sweetie, I'm fine," Phoebe said as she looked up at Timothy for an explanation.

"She's been worried about you all day. She said something about you having a difficult dream," Tim responded.

The sisters looked at each other wondering if and how Amy could have known about the dream walk. "I'm perfectly find sweetie," Phoebe said as she pulled Amy back to look at her beautiful eyes. "You helped me get through the dream and now I'm all awake and fine. Ok sweetie?"

Amy smiled and hugged Phoebe again. "I knew you could do it."

This invoked another strange look from the sisters, but they knew Amy was a witch and that in at least one possible future she has a special bond with Phoebe, so they decided not to question it too much.

"Would you like to stay for dinner?" Paige asked Tim.

Amy looked up with the face that was going to lead to much pleading if he didn't say yes, so he just smiled and nodded.

*****

As Leo, Piper, Tim and Amy passed food around the table, Paige joined Phoebe in serving drinks. "How's it feel knowing your future husband could be sitting at that table and he doesn't even have a clue," Paige whispered to Phoebe.

"Very intimidating if you must know," Phoebe answered lightly. "I'm still scared I might do something to screw it all up," she added more seriously as she and Paige turned back to look at the table.

"You won't Phoebe," Paige said as she put her hand on her sisters. "And if you start to falter, just lean on Piper and me. It's what we are here for."

"You know you kick ass in the sister department, don't you?" Phoebe said as she help Paige's hand.

"You think so?" Paige replied with a smile.

"Oh yeah," Phoebe nodded as she hugged Paige. 

"Let's get these drinks in there before they miss us," Paige said trying not to tear up.

Phoebe smiled and followed her back to join the others. She looked at her sisters and Leo, then over at Tim and Amy. This would be a great future she thought to herself.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
